EGAN, Frederick


No.C/J 8844, Able Seaman, Frederick J EGAN
Aged 21


HM Submarine E24, Royal Navy
Killed in Action on Monday, 27th March 1916


Frederick Egan was born in Edmonton on 7th September 1894, (Edmonton Q4-1894 3A:338), baptised All Hallows, Tottenham 28th October 1894, son of Alfred and Martha Eliza EGAN (née SOUTHEY).

His mother is believed to have died in 1896. His father then married Lizzie FREE from Castle Camps, he died in 1907 and his stepmother Lizzie married William RAYNER in 1910. They lived later at Coles Hill, Castle Camps

1901 census...Aged 6, he was at 21 Burlington Road, Tottenham with his father William EGAN [29] labourer, born Tottenham; his stepmother Lizzie [28] born Castle Camps.

1911 census...Aged 16, he was Boy 1st class at HMS Impregnable, Devonport in the Royal Navy. His father had died and his stepmother, now Mrs Rayner and her husband William RAYNER [34] farm labourer were at Endway, Castle Camps with Lizzie's children Alice EGAN [8] and Charles [4] both born in Tottenham.


Walter enlisted in the Royal Navy 27th June 1910, he was 5 feet 5.5 inches ( 166.4 cm) tall, chest 32" (81.3 cm), brown hair and eyes. Starting his Navy career at HMS Ganges, Shotley, a "stone frigate" or shore base.
HMS Ganges from 27/6/1910 to 23/9/1910 as boy 2nd class, the HMS Impregnable to 5/6/1911 (made Boy 1st class 17/12/1910)
Donegal 6/6/1911 to 16/9/1911......Pembroke I (shore barracks at Chatham) 7/9/191 to 12/10/1911......Shearwater 13/10/1911 to 25 /11/1913 becoming an ordinary seaman on 7th Sept.1912 when he signed for 12 years, then to Able Seaman 27/11/1912
More training at Pembroke I 26/11/1913 to 9/1/1914 and Actaeon (stone frigate) 10/1/1914 to 8/5/10914 and Vernon from 9/5/1914 to 31/7/1914
Pembroke I 1/8/1914 to 14/8/1915 then Dido (depot ship) 15/8/1914 to 19/2/1915 and back to Pembroke 20/2/1915 to 18/5/1915
Hibernia 19/5/1915 to 8/10/1915 and Dolphin (depot ship) 9/10/1915 to 10/11/1915 then Maidstone (mother ship for submarines at Harwich) 11/11/1915 to 26/12/1915
Dolphin ( another depot ship) 27/12/1915 to 20/1/1916 before finally going to Maidstone the mother ship for E24 on 21/1/1916.

E24 was part the Harwich-based 9th Flotilla, the second E-class boat to be converted into a minelayer. E24 left Harwich on 21st March 1916 to lay mines in the Heligoland Bight. Her commander, Lieutenant-Commander Napier, was ordered to enter the Bight in darkness on the surface via the Amrum Bank. Once in position he was to lay mines in a zigzag formation. As mines were known to have been laid by the Germans off Ameland, Napier was ordered to return by the same route. She was never seen again until was raised in 1974 and the bodies of 25 unidentified sailors were recovered.They are buried in OHLSDORF Cemetery, Hamburg It was thought originally that she was a German submarine. Her conning tower is now on display in the Wrackmuseum, Duhnen nr. Cuxhaven, Germany.


No image of E24 has been found, just this model



Of the 25 bodies recovered only the Commander was identified, by his uniform and size.


photo: Commonwealth War Graves Commission



Frederick Egan is commemorated on the Chatham Naval MemoriaL, panel 16

click here to go to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website for full cemetery/memorial details


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